Murders of Crows
by The Swashbuckler
Summary: Nightwing is called in to help catch a serial killer: one that is obsessed with a Teen Titan!
1. Losers

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter One: Losers

"All right Arthur, we've been through this more times than I really care to count."

I've always hoped that Dr. Light would one day get tired of getting his butt kicked and hang it up, but he's addicted to the life. I saw it in his eyes even before he powered his gauntlets. He may have been a loser, but he loved being a bad guy. It was the usual. Light used his tech to blast open the vault of one of the downtown banks and help himself to other people's money. But this time, he had two hostages: the two rent-a-cops that tried to make names for themselves.

We faced off in the bank's lobby, with the lights of the Jump City MetWAT flashing behind us. Cy stood at my left, Kory floated overhead and Beast Boy had become a growling Rottweiler. I didn't need to look for Raven, I knew exactly where she was.

"This time will be different, Nightwing. You Titans will know the vengeance of Doctor Light!"

"Take this idiot down," I growled softly.

Everyone struck with absolute precision. Cy and Star used their ranged attacks to cover Rae. She 'ported in and rescued the security guards while Gar and I charged Light. Twenty-three seconds later, Dr. Light was bagged, tagged, and ready to turn over to Jump City's finest.

"Booyah!" Cy exclaimed. "Who wants some grub? There's a great little dive around the block. My treat."

"Does this place have more on the menu than just salads, bro?" Beast Boy asked. "You know the last three places you took us to were just carnivore hang outs."

"Yanno, that reminds me of something I saw on a tee shirt, Greenie. 'Vegetarian is an Indian word for Bad Hunter.'"

"Yeah, that was for a barbeque place, Buckethead!"

I rolled my eyes and took a short, snorting breath. By now, we were pretty numb to Vic's and Gar's banter about food. They were best friends, so they had to find everything under the sun to argue about.

"You two argue like an old married couple," Raven spat in her monotone I've-had-enough-of-you-pinheads voice.

"Yes, I believe the term is… 'Get a room?'" Kory piled on.

I pushed Dr. Light into the waiting arms of the JCPD. He was still muttering about how he's get us next time, but by now, I toned him totally out. Light, Control Freak, Fang, it was Losers Week at Jump City. I almost wished that Slade would crawl out of whatever hole he was hiding in. Almost.

"Nightwing?"

I turned and looked at an attractive, young female police detective. She wore a grey suit with a neutral shirt underneath, her badge hung on a lanyard around her neck, and her mousy brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. I glanced down to her badge to confirm what I already knew. Her name was Sergeant Eileen MacDonald, Homicide Division. She smoked, Kool Menthols, and, from the glint in her brown eyes, she was here on business.

"What can I help you with, Detective?"

…..

I watched MacDonald step out of her precinct and indulge in a cigarette. She used the alley exit which had become the unofficial smoker's lounge since Jump City's smoking ban went into effect several years ago. I found a shadowy spot under a fire escape, and my black uniform blended in perfectly.

"Those things will kill you," I said from the shadows.

Call it wrong, but I always liked that initial jump that people always did when I decided to reveal my location. Thanks, Bruce. MacDonald stepped back and thought about reaching for her piece.

I vaulted off the wall and flipped my way down to her.

"Don't do that," she ordered.

"Old habits die hard," I said grinning. "So what did you want to see me about?"

She handed me a three manila file folders dated from earlier in the year. I opened them up and flipped through the pages.

"That one's name was Rebecca Tolberson, sixteen, sophomore at Perez High. Honor student. Went missing six days before her body was found."

I looked at the crime scene photos. I'd seen enough live scenes to keep my lunch down, but this made my stomach lurch. I opened the next folder.

"Yvonne Michaels. Eighteen. Freshman at Jump City Community. Gone for nine days."

The last folder had Tracy Wollencraft, a twenty-two year old prostitute. The connection was already obvious. They were all petite, pale, and brunette. But that wasn't the worst part. Their foreheads had make shift stones melted into their flesh and they were all found in black leotards and in blue capes. I listened numbly as MacDonald went on in gory detail how the girls were drugged, bound, possibly raped, mutilated, strangled, and then dressed up like dolls.

"I thought you'd want to know," MacDonald said between puffs. "Of course, your help on this would be appreciated."

"Thanks, MacDonald, I'll be in touch."

I can't remember how I got back to the tower, but I did. Star met me at the door and kissed me softly.

"What is it?" she asked.

I took a deep breath and lied, "Nothing."

I stepped past her and went straight to my room, locking the door behind me.


	2. Reports

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

**A/N: Eileen MacDonald is an OC, and I'll claim her…**

Chapter Two: Reports

The only light in my room was the one over my desk. I opened the files MacDonald handed me and went through their reports several times. I started with the earliest killing, Wollencraft's, and looked for any differences in the later slayings. All three were drugged with the same thing, Rohypnol, tied with the same cord, a thin, quarter-inch nylon braid, in the same manner, around the wrists, ankles, and then garroted with the same type of rope.

The rope was easily available everywhere, supermarkets, building supply centers, discount store, you name it, so tracing the rope was next to impossible. Rohypnol, on the other hand, was much easier. It's banned in the United States, so it must have come from south of the border. The dressing of the bodies happened before the bindings, I concluded. So, the girls either willingly dressed as Raven, or were drugged first. I read the report again, and remembered MacDonald saying that they were "possibly raped." The descriptions of their mutilations were sickeningly blunt. Each of the girls' sexual organs had been cauterized, and then the stone was fused with their skin, probably at the same time.

We were dealing with a true sicko.

The killings happened in three to six month intervals, but there was no set pattern to the dumping of the bodies. Wollencraft was found in the warehouse district shortly after Halloween, so her costume wasn't questioned. Tolberson was found in a gulley near her high school while Michaels was found in a field ten miles south of the city. But matching carpet fibers were found on each of the bodies.

I wondered why the newspapers hadn't picked up on this yet.

"Richard?"

I was wondering when someone would come around. And I should not have been surprised that the others sent Raven, but she, given the situation, was really the last girl on earth I wanted to see at the moment.

"I'm busy," I snapped.

"Open up, Victor made you a dinner tray."

Once Vic got it in his mind that you needed to eat, he was worse than a pen full of mother hens. I took a deep breath and went to the door.

Raven looked up at me with her large, violet eyes. "There is something deeply troubling you," she said softly and pointed out the obvious.

"Your powers tell you that, Rae?" I barked, snatching the tray from her.

"No, but if you're going to behave like an ass, I won't stop you."

She turned to go, pulling her hood over her dark hair. I pursed my lips together and set the tray on the table. She needed to know something, but I didn't want to upset her.

"Rae, wait," I said before I could stop myself.

Raven turned and looked up at me. "Yes?"

"Raven, there's a serial killer stalking you."

The color bleached out of her already pale face. "What did you say?"

"There's a killer stalking you. He's killed at least three girls and dressed them to resemble you."

"How do you know this?" Normally she hid under a mask of biting sarcasm, but I watched it crumble away revealing her vulnerability.

"Detective Sergeant MacDonald has asked me to assist in the case," I said bluntly. "I thought you should know."

Raven bit her lower lip and crossed her arms, rubbing her upper arms as if she were cold. "Th- thank you for telling me this." She leaned into me like a scared child. I reflexively wrapped my arms around her and tried to sooth her.

"Richard," she said shakily, "why did you say 'at least three?'"

"He had to practice on someone."

Raven pulled away from me and looked at me as if I'd just slapped her. "What a heartless and horrid thing to say!"

I grabbed her by the shoulders and locked my eyes to hers.

"Unfortunately, it's the truth. I've just studied the reports on his victims. The way they were murdered was practically identical. Serial killers go through a progression, and whoever this guy is, he's already found his niche." Raven wanted to look away but I leaned into her. "Look, sugar coating it won't help the girls this maniac has already killed, or let you know what danger you're in. Promise me, that whenever you have to leave the Tower, you don't go alone, that you always have your communicator on you, and that you take care of yourself."

"I… I will."

I pulled her into a deep embrace, "Thanks Raven."

I knew she could sense how scared I was.

"Promise me one thing," Raven said as we hugged.

"Anything."

"Stop this madman."


	3. Ten Months Too Late

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Three: Ten Months Too Late

I sat with the others at dinner, and only ate half of what was in front of me. I supposed it tasted good, Vic's cooking usually does, but my mind focused on the case. I couldn't get the faces of those three girls out of my mind. Worse still, they merged and I saw what that killer wanted me to see: Raven. I glanced over to her, but I didn't look her in the eyes. Kory smiled softly and patted my thigh under the table. I forced a grin, but she knew my heart wasn't in it.

"What is wrong, Dick?" Kory asked.

My eyes turned back toward Rae, and she nodded slowly. I told the others everything I knew about the killings, which was frustratingly little.

"No way," Garfield gasped.

"Don't worry Rae, we're all on the case now," Cyborg said, wrapping his heavy arm around the petite witch.

"Yeah, I never knew you were that popular," Beast Boy quipped.

We all glowered at the green shapeshifter.

Garfield frowned, "Okay, bad joke, worse timing."

"No kidding, Gar," Vic said flatly.

Kory took Raven's hands and said solemnly, "Be at peace, Sister of My Heart, I promise I shall not let any danger befall you."

"Thanks everyone, but as uncomfortable as the killer's fixation on me is," Raven said bravely, "it's his victims and their families that concern me the most."

No one said anything after that as a pall settled over the table. I finished first, got up, scraped my leftovers in the trash and turned to wash my plate. Kory was right there.

"I will clean," she said taking the plate from my hands. "You have a killer to catch."

I kissed her cheek and lightly patted her on the rear, "Thanks, beautiful."

I went back to my workroom and hovered over the files again. MacDonald was good, and the crime scene work was very thorough. I would have liked the detailed lab reports or a sample of the carpet fibers, and I made a mental note to ask the sergeant about that the next time I saw her. And on cue, my communicator buzzed. I pulled it out of the pouch on my left hip and answered it.

"Nightwing, it's Detective MacDonald. We've found another dead Raven."

…..

I crouched next to the body. This one was discovered in deep in the Crady Park Greenbelt, and unlike the others, was buried in a shallow pit. My eyes narrowed trying to take in as much info as I could. The girl couldn't have been older than fifteen, judging from the breadth of her hips. What little skin she had left had leathered, and her muscles had all but been consumed by parasites. The spandex costume was preserved well, with few boreholes. I hoped to get some good physical evidence, even though it wasn't likely.

Her makeshift hood kept her scalp and forehead from decomposing, and a dirt covered stone was burned into her skin.

The crime scene photographer hovered around, taking detailed photos of the corpse and the surrounding area. I smelled the smoke of one of MacDonald's cigarettes drift in from over my shoulder. I blocked it out and scanned for ligatures around the dead girl's wrists.

"Right now we're calling her Raven Four until we find out who she is," MacDonald said after drawing in a long drag. "You're little friend looks greener than usual."

"How long do you think she has been here?" Kory asked.

"From her state of decomposition, I'd say about nine months to a year," I said.

MacDonald nodded, "That's what we came up with as well."

I stood and looked back to my team. "Cyborg, I need you to access missing persons reports over the last two years. Use Raven's general description as search criteria."

"On it, Boss."

"Raven, tell me everything you can about the psychic signature of this place."

She nodded solemnly and stepped near the body. I watched Raven close her eyes slowly and hold her hand over her unfortunate double. Kory hovered nearby and made sure no one came within ten feet of our little demoness. One of the uniforms gave Gar a bottle of water, and MacDonald was right, he really did look like he was about to lose it.

"Tell me about the fibers," I said to the detective.

"Those? They came from car trunk upholstery, mid ninety's GM sedan, based on the chemical analysis on the dye and materials." She looked down the trail and muttered, "Oh wonderful."

I followed MacDonald's gaze and saw a news crew from Channel Seventeen come jogging up the road. They sent Maggie Hollis, their lead anchor, out. She smoothed her blouse and her eyebrows as her cameraman set up. One of MacDonald's team finished his coffee and strolled out to meet the press. One thing was definite, the world was about to find out about the killer.

"Titans, we're done here," I said before turning to MacDonald. "Let me know what the ME finds."

…..

Cyborg sat down at the mainframe and started to sift through the various missing persons databases at incredible speed. I patted him on the shoulder and nodded. Beast Boy flipped through the channels. It wouldn't be long before the story made national headlines, and that would only make our killer bolder.

Kory brought Rae a cup of tea, while I stared out the large window overlooking the city. The detective part of me said be patient, be methodical, get it right, but the half of me that likes to jump from building to building and take on eighty foot tall, four eyed demons was screaming to get out and do something. I leaned back and stretched.

"So, what do we know?" Gar asked.

"We know the killer probably isn't Meta," I said.

The four superpowered Titans traded slightly confused looks.

I sighed before explaining, "First, all the victims were drugged with Rohypnol. It's one of the classic 'Date Rape Drugs' and is now banned in the U.S. Second, carpet fibers found on the body are consistent with upholstery found in the trunks of General Motors sedans between 1993 and 1997. Our perp drives a car. Third, the sexual mutilations of the victims indicate that the killer is probably male."

"So what does that mean?" Kory asked.

"That means that our perp can be one of about four million men living in the general area."


	4. Rope

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Four: Rope

I couldn't sleep.

After confirming that there were indeed thirty-six ceiling tiles for the seventh time, I rolled out of bed, stripped out of my clothes and took a quick shower. The Tower felt small, claustrophobic, and I knew I needed to get out there, get to the streets. I tossed the towel in the bin and put on my uniform. I rolled my neck and ritualistically daubed spirit gum on the back of my mask. My eyes closed slowly as I put the mask on and stopped being Dick Grayson. I became Nightwing.

I checked in on all the other dorm rooms, and everyone seemed to be okay. Garfield was snoring, and Vic was in self-repair mode. Rae and Kory were both awake and meditating together, and I couldn't help but crack a slight grin. I reminded myself to check in once I had some information, and soon found myself in the tube car that ran from the Tower to our private garage. Well, honestly, it was my private garage, and my motorcycles were all lined up right where I left them.

I straddled one of the high performance models and brought it to life. It growled like an angry beast, and I felt like one too. I needed answers and drove off to get them.

It was a good thing I already knew where to start.

The Old Warehouse District was now a mishmash of nightclubs, chain restaurants, bars, and loft apartments. It was a well-lit gathering spot for everyone, but just up the hill was a very poor neighborhood that seemed to teeter on the edge of anarchy. I used the packed together rooftops to make my way to Eleven Twenty-Nine Didio Avenue. It was a shut down convenience store that, at night, served as a drive through drug dealer's warehouse. Pushers came through to pick up their supplies from the middleman, a Czech called Lenny.

I watched the op from the full canopy of an oak across the street. Slow night.

Perfect.

I pulled a zip line from the front hip pouch, fired, and steadied myself for the ridiculously powerful pull. The line went taught and I felt like I got shot from a cannon as the zip line pulled me across the street. I tucked, flipped a few times and landed lightly on my toes before pressing to the wall. One of the four guards turned the corner, and I silently put him down with a quick sedative injection. The sudden irony wasn't lost on me as I dragged the sleeping gunsel behind the dumpster. I emptied my packets of tranquilizers and pitched them in the trash.

Speaking of trash…

I contorted myself a little and slipped through the unbarred transom window over the back door. It was so much easier before I filled out, but that's life I guess. Lenny was talking loudly on his cell phone, in Russian. I caught every third word, but Lenny was complaining to his higher ups that it was a slow night, and they still had a lot of product. Good to know.

I used the corner of the room and slowly climbed up to the ceiling, placing one hand and one foot on two walls. The ceiling tiles had long since corroded, and I was in the rusty steel rafters. It smelled of rat droppings up there, and I heard them scurry away as I crawled up and across the room. Lenny closed his phone with a loud snap and talked to the guards.

I took a deep breath and jumped through the old ceiling.

Fifteen seconds, and two mini-smoke grenades, later the goons were down, and I had Lenny pinned against the wall.

"Hello, Lenny," I growled. "I've got a question and you're going to answer it for me."

"You're dead, pretty boy!" he snapped.

I pulled him off the wall and body slammed him on the desk, my hands still gripping his shirt collar. "Wrong! You're supposed to say, 'What's your question?'"

"Wh-what's your question?" he said as I rolled him and twisted his arm painfully.

"Who is dealing Rope?"

I let his arm relax just slightly.

"Rope?" he squawked. "Are you kidding me?"

I yanked his arm again and twisted his wrist so hard I heard his bones grind together. "Do I sound like I'm joking?" I growled as he screamed.

"I don't know!" he pleaded as he pounded the table with is free hand.

I snarled, "Find out."

I put my knee into his back and pulled out his ledger book. He started to protest, but a twist of his arm around my calf silenced him.

"Hmm," I mused, "I'm sure Ivan would love to know how much you've been skimming, there Lenny."

"He'd kill me!"

I looked around as Lenny's goons started to stir. "I'm going to give you forty-eight hours to give me a list of every Rope dealer in the Jump City area," I snarled. "One second late, and you'll wish I turned this over to the cops."


	5. Girls of the Hill

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Five: Girls of the Hill

I got back to my bike in a foul mood. Naturally, I didn't trust Lenny to deliver the list, but I did trust his fear of the Russian Mob. Still, there were other ways to find out who's been dealing Rohypnol other than talking to the rats like that. My motorcycle roared to life, and I rode off toward an even rougher section of the city: Finger Hill. It was once very fashionable, but as the city grew, the money went elsewhere. After skulking through Gotham for so long, I hated to admit that Finger Hill felt like home.

The street corners were dotted with prostitutes and their pimps trolled down the streets in their tricked out cars. I rode down the center of Sprang Street, occasionally revving my engine to announce to the world that I had arrived. Some of the would-be johns rolled up their windows and drove home to their wives.

"Baby, you just cost me fifty," I heard one of the girls complain as I drove over to the curb.

"He wasn't worth it Tanya."

"And you are?" Tanya said throatily and laden with sarcasm. She lit up a cheap cigarette, and the fumes mingled with her heavy perfume. Tanya was the mother hen for the girls on the Hill. She kept some of them out of trouble, sent more than a few runaways back home, but, for some reason, still played the game.

"Any girls been approached for some cosplay?"

"All the time, baby. Why do you think we stand out here?"

"I'm serious Tanya. Did you know Tracy Wollencraft?"

I showed her a picture of the dead girl.

Tanya took a long drag. "Yeah, I've seen her. I didn't know her as 'Tracy' though. She called herself 'Raven' when she worked the Hill because she said she looked like your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," I protested. "Can you remember the last time you saw…" I couldn't bring myself to call the girl by her street name, "…Tracy?"

"You know how it is around here. Girls come; girls go. I guess you'd say the Hill has a high turnover rate. So what happened to her?"

I narrowed my eyes, "Ran into the wrong kind of mark."

Tanya sighed deeply.

"How many other Goth girls are working the Hill?"

"I couldn't tell you for sure, cupcake, I haven't taken a head count. But they tend to hang out at The Loft."

"Thanks Tanya," I said. I reached into a small pocket and handed her a business card. "If you're ever in real trouble, go here. See you around."

I pulled away from the curb and drove down to the Loft. The building was an old packing plant dating from the nineteen-teens. Since then it had been bought sold, nearly torn down, sold again, condemned, uncondemned, and now a nightclub catering to the "alternative" crowd. I watched the wannabes try to out-Goth each other for entrance, and the regulars roll their eyes, from the roof of the club. The place felt familiar. I moved along the tar-covered roof and cast my eyes upwards.

I'd been here before.

This was the building that Kommie brought us to the first time she came to earth. I looked over to the skylight and could almost see her with that pink wig and in her sister's clothes. I knew it wasn't any time to open the scrapbook, but remembering that little tidbit gave me a definite advantage, I hoped. And after I looked through the skylight, my hope had been realized. The current owner kept the same layout. Good.

I walked over to the roof access door and disabled the alarm in twenty-nine seconds. Took too long. But I made up time by picking the lock in two seconds. There was an androgynous pair making out in the stairwell, obliviously drugged or drunk, and I picked up one of their black long coats and slung it over my shoulders. I suppose it would have fit me the last time I was here, but it was tight and restrictive. Worse, it smelled of incense and smoke. I walked out on to the dance floor level. There was a Goth-punk band playing throatily on the stage while people jumped about. Not my taste in music, but I wasn't here to socialize.

I leaned against a support beam and watched the bar. The place was busy, and the clientele was young, dark, and pale. Many had colors that didn't appear in nature streaked through their already dyed black hair, multiple facial piercings, heavy eye make up, and tattoos seemed be the Loft's membership card. I closed my eyes and thought about Wollencraft. I tried to picture her here, trying to pick up a mark or had been approached by one. When I opened my eyes again, I more closely observed the bar. I wasn't paying attention to who they were serving, but now what. The drinks were simple, unpretentious, but (watching the bartender free pour out a little more alcohol than his boss would rather him to) potent.

Since 1999, Rope contains a dye to turn a liquid blue, but once you moved away from the lighted bar area, you couldn't tell if you were drinking coffee or water. The few tables were lit by small oil lamps, but it they only had one candle's worth of light. I looked around some more and saw the orange glow of multiple candles coming from an alcove on the other side of the room.

After weaving through the patrons, I turned into the alcove and narrowed my eyes.

The small space was dotted with small votive candles in wide bowls against a black background. Hundreds of photographs and press clippings hung, framed in dark metal frames, hung on the back wall, and a piecemeal blue cloak opened like bird's wings behind it.

It was a shrine.

It was a shrine to Raven.


	6. Breakfast at MacDonald's

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Six: Breakfast at MacDonald's

I stood rooted to the spot, and my stomach lurched. Part of me wanted to rip it down right then and there, but, thank God, the detective part took over. I stepped into the shrine and visually examined the pictures. Some were newspaper photographs, but an unsettling many were shots of Rae picking the mushrooms off her pizza, or the going to her new bookstore, or slipping into Gino's for a gelato. Interesting. I didn't even know she liked it. The angles and quality of the shots were amateurish at best. But the shrine builder knew Raven's habits. My attention turned to the cloak. Each piece was dated and marked with the battle location.

The cloak on the wall was made up of various pieces of Rae's cloaks.

"She's perfect, isn't she?" a slow rolling voice said behind me.

I spun around and actually told myself not to go into combat mode. A rail thin young man, about my age, stood there. His skin was ashen, and his black bangs concealed one of his eyes. The other eye had heavy eyeliner drawn out to resemble long eyelashes or tears. One hand was stuffed in his pocket. A cartoon like skull adorned his worn, grey tee shirt, and he loosely held a bottle of imported beer.

"I saw her for the first time," he continued as if I weren't there. "Right over there." He pointed to the dance floor. "She stood there like a dark angel, so pale and mysterious, and yet so innocent and vulnerable. And then we talked." He looked past me to the shrine. "She likes Sondheim. Did you know that?"

I wanted to plant my fist across the bridge of his nose.

He finally looked up and then glanced to away, "You'll have to excuse me. I don't often wax poetic."

"Right," I said very slowly.

He took a long swig of his beer and finally made eye contact with me. His eyes dropped to the large blue bird motif on my uniform, and he snarled. "You."

I narrowed my eyes and waited for him to make the next move. If it was at all aggressive, I already had thirteen ways to take him down planned out. Most of them hurt. He took another look at me and thought better about starting something he knew I would finish quickly. Instead, he dropped to the ground, cross-legged, and cried.

"She was mine until you got all dark," he sobbed. "She was mine, but gave me the 'It's too dangerous' line and told me she wouldn't see me anymore. It was like being cast out of Eden."

I thought he wasn't going to wax poetic.

"So you've been stalking her instead?" I snarled. I stepped over and pulled him up by his collar, pushed him into a wall, put my forearm across his throat, and showed him pictures of three of the dead girls. "Have you ever seen these women?"

He gave me the answer I expected, "No."

"Look at them again."

"I told you, I don't know them." He glanced to the shrine and then back to me. "This is about the dead girl found dressed as_ her_, isn't it?"

My silence answered the question for me.

"I swear, Nightwing, I would never hurt her in any way. I… I still lover her more than anything in the universe. I know that you will catch whoever's killed that girl; it's what you do. But, it wasn't me."

I dropped him and put the pictures back in my pouch before stepping over him. Before I left the alcove, I looked over my shoulder and growled, "If I even _think_ you're within two blocks of her or you're leaving the city, I will make life very unpleasant for you."

I peeled off the jacket and walked out the front door much to the amazement and astonishment of the bouncer, the ticket booth clerk, and all the patrons waiting for their turn. I completely ignored them, but one of the girl wannabes jumped out of line and pushed a flier on me. I would have crumpled it up right then, but I tried to be nice just to clear my head of negativity. The Goth girl got back in line, fanning herself and giggling with her friends.

I glanced down at the paper politely, not intending to read it, but thank God, I did. The Jump City Convention Center was hosting the first annual Haney County Cosplay Convention. It listed the date, two weeks from Saturday, website, contests, "come dressed as your favorite" whatever… Great. There was a killer playing dress-up, and now there'll be a ridiculous amount of targets all in one area. This day was getting better and better. I was as close to a lead on Rohypnol now as when I started the night, meaning I had nothing.

Sure, Goth boy was creepy and a stalker, but a killer? Without evidence, tying him to one of the crimes there wasn't much the police could do. Me? That was a different story. I glanced at my fingertips, rolled a few strands of his hair between my thumb and forefinger, and grinned darkly. Before I got to my bike, I put the hairs in a small zip top bag and put them in a secure pouch on my belt. Having access to some of the most advanced tech on the planet is a definite plus, and Cyborg can do a DNA test in the morning. I just need to see if there's a comparative sample from the crime scenes.

There was one place to get it.

I drove to the neat, tidy area of Cardy Street and camped out in one of the alleys between townhouses. The bright colors painted on the houses refused to be muted. I didn't much like the area, personally. It felt like being in an MGM Technicolor extravaganza. Time passed slowly, and I hoped the others were sleeping comfortably. They've more than earned it.

Five-fifteen.

A light turned on in the back of Thirteen Two Seventy Cardy, and I balanced on the concrete wall between the houses. Eileen MacDonald stepped on her back porch in a long sleep shirt and slippers. She lit her first morning cigarette.

I grinned sarcastically, "Breakfast of champions, Dectective?"


	7. Complications

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Seven: Complications

"Jesus!" MacDonald exclaimed, "You nearly gave me a freaking heart attack!"

I climbed down from the wall, leaned against it, and folded my arms across my chest. "Hmm," I mused, "high stress job," eye arched my eyebrow and noticed how soft MacDonald was, not even as toned as Raven (who relied on her powers too much for my liking), "lack of exercise, not eating well, and smoking too. I'm not even on the board as far as risk of heart attack goes."

"Why are you here?" she growled angrily.

"I need all the DNA evidence from the crime scenes."

"Found a suspect, eh?" Her curiosity was piqued.

"You know that I can't comment on an ongoing investigation," I said with a hint of sarcasm. "So, can I get that information?"

"We're still waiting for an identification and comparative study on Raven Four," MacDonald said as she stamped out her cigarette. "Once we get that in, I'll be able to pass something along to you… unofficially, of course."

I masked my disappointment, "Of course."

MacDonald started to say something about having to go in, but I'd already jumped the fence and was back on my bike. Occasionally, I wanted to leave a camera behind and get that reaction shot of discovering they were alone, but not when there's a psycho on the loose: one that's got a fetish for one of your best friends. I thought about the four dead girls as I drove home and worried about something I was missing. The sun was going up behind me, and my shadow stretched out far ahead of me. My staying up for the last thirty-one hours was beginning to catch up with me. I used the hidden entrance to my garage, hopped in the tube, and dozed on my way back to the Tower.

Kory greeted me with a soft hug and a light kiss on my lips. I smiled and curled a lock of her cinnamon colored hair in my fingers.

"Welcome back, Dick," she said. "Did your… legwork?" I nodded and she continued, "Did your legwork go well?"

"Yes and no," I said as we walked back through the common room. By now, Vic, Gar, and Raven had joined us around the breakfast table and prodded me for details. I supplied them enough to satisfy them, but left out the stuff about the shrine at the Loft. The other three didn't need to know that.

I glanced over to Rae. She sipped her herbal tea slowly and looked like she had a sleepless night. Her exhausted indigo eyes caught mine, and she rolled them closed for an instant. She was internalizing the four girls' deaths, and if I knew her as I thought I did, she was unnecessarily shouldering the blame. Something I was all too familiar with.

"And now you need your rest," Kory said softly. She ushered me to my room and would have stripped me down and plopped me in bed, had she not remembered to be Raven's bodyguard.

I smiled and sat at my desk before glancing at my countdown timer. Lenny had thirty-nine hours to get me my list, but in the meantime, I could go to my workroom and start profiling the killer. The faster I understood who he was, the faster I'd be able to anticipate his next move.

I got up and started the short walk to my thinking room. Garfield Logan sat against the wall opposite the door.

"Hey, NW, Star asked me to make sure you got your rest and didn't go all obsessive and stuff."

"Okay, okay," I resigned. "I'll take a nap, but first I need something to drink."

"Um, okay, as long as you don't go into your workshop. I promised Kory I'd do my best to keep you out of it."

"Where is Kory?"

"Where else?" Gar shrugged.

"Thanks Gar."

I walked past my workshop and into the common room. Vic was lazily playing a video game when I tapped him on the shoulder. Before he could protest, I put my finger to my lips and handed him the evidence bag from my pouch. I already put a little post-it note on it with the message, "Need DNA" on it. Even though I didn't have any to compare it to, it didn't mean I couldn't be prepared. He looked up, glanced over to Rae and Kory, and put the bag in a compartment in his arm.

"I thought you were resting," Kory scolded as I walked up to the girls.

"I will be. There's just something I have to talk with Rae about, _privately_."

Rae looked up from her tea and arched an eyebrow. Kory glanced at her best friend and nodded. She walked over to Vic and picked up the spare control paddle.

"What is it?" Raven asked.

I told her about the Loft and my encounter with her biggest fan. She did her best to keep a brave, unemotional face but I saw the way she took her breath and let it out with a shudder.

"I left the shrine as is for evidence, in case we needed it," I finished.

"I didn't think he could be so obsessed," Raven said quietly. She looked up, her eyes filled with worry. "You don't think that he's the killer, do you?"

"I don't know. It's a possibility."

She pursed her lips together and looked to the floor. I put my hands on her shoulders and gave her my most reassuring smile.

"So, now what?" she asked looking for a subject change.

"We need to establish a more 'civilian' look for you."

She smiled and looked up at my unmasked face, "Does this mean I need a 'secret identity' Richard?"

I laughed, "Maybe."

Kory had inexplicably taken the lead in the race game she and Vic were playing, and Cy's bellow let everyone in the Tower know. Star, for the first time since we learned about the killings, giggled airily, and the room just seemed brighter for it. Rae and I meandered to the couch, and I traded verbal jabs with Vic about his supposed prowess at this game.

"I have been practicing," Kory said, her brow furrowed with concentration.

And, typically, the Titans Alert sounded.

Vic flipped the game controller out of his hand and grumpily switched to the Alert. It was Haney County Correctional.

Doctor Light escaped.


	8. Dead Ravens

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Eight: Dead Ravens

"Tell us what happened, warden," I said.

Warden Thomas Thorton was a good man with a hard job. He had the look of a man ten years older than he truly was. His blue suit was rumpled, and his eyes were bleary with exhaustion.

"Apparently, Light had some kind of holographic projector," he spoke in the same measured tones he would if he were speaking to the press. "He used the device to turn himself invisible."

"And he walked right out the front door," Raven droned.

"Unfortunately, yes," Thorton was loath to admit.

Starfire looked around at the five of us. "But how did the Doctor Light get the projector?"

I rolled my eyes as the others shrugged. "Thank you for letting us know, warden. We'll keep on alert for his next move." I turned off the communicator and turned to the others. "Well, two days ago, Light obviously thought he was going to fail in his bank robbery. So he already planned his escape. I'd be willing to bet that the projector is a small device, smaller than a ping pong ball…"

"Dude!" Garfield gasped, "Are you telling me that Doctor Light _ate_ the projector and then…?"

I nodded.

"Ewwwwwww!" Vic and Gar groaned together. Even Rae winced.

"I am afraid I do not completely understand," Kory muttered.

Raven patted her on the shoulder, "I'll explain it to you later."

No one noticed me slip off to the workshop. I moved Light's picture from the "Incarcerated" column to "At Large" right next to a picture of the Red X. Unfortunately, the list of captured villains was always so small. Even the lowliest of them seemed to get out at will.

"I thought I'd find you here."

I turned around slowly and said flatly, "Hello Raven."

She walked in and slid her hood back. As much as I hated to admit it, the Goth kid was right. She did look like an angel. I shook myself and looked back at my Wall of Rogues.

"I've never known you to break a promise," she told me.

"Plenty of time to rest when you're dead," I quipped thoughtlessly.

"That wasn't funny, Richard."

I looked back to her and sighed, "No, it wasn't. Sorry Rae." I walked back over to the table where the three folders MacDonald supplied me rested. The corpses were still the best, and only, real leads I had. I curled my lip and arched an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

I forgot that Rae was still in the room. She glided over to the worktable.

"These files are light, incomplete. I'm missing detailed toxology reports, stomach content analyses, full autopsy results… I knew I was missing DNA analysis, but still. The files are only enough to tantalize me."

"Which means, what, other than Detective MacDonald's been holding out information?"

"I wish I knew."

Raven walked up behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. I could feel her resting her head against my back. Suddenly I felt calm, peaceful, and my long, long day was catching up to me quickly.

"You promised Koriand'r that you would get some sleep," I heard Raven say softly. She took my hand and guided me back to my quarters. I was too sleepy to argue. She leaned me over a little and stood on her tiptoes to give me a little peck of a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you for everything, Richard."

I smiled back at her, stepped into my room, and collapsed on the bed.

The next thing I knew, Raven was screaming.

I literally fell out of bed and stumbled to the common room. It was midday, and I suddenly realized that I had been asleep for nearly twenty hours. Kory had her arms wrapped protectively around Rae, who was sobbing into her shoulder. Vic was nearby, too, and Garfield hovered around, apologizing profusely.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry; I didn't know," Gar pleaded.

"What's going on?" I barked.

Kory looked at me and then cast her gaze on a large, narrow, rectangular box. It looked like something you'd ship flowers in: white with a lid. I approached slowly. The package was wrapped in brown shipping paper and addressed with a plain label that read "To Raven." I pulled the largest evidence bag I had in my belt and stuffed the paper in as best I could. I glanced up to the witch, who looked back at me. Her eyes were puffy and fearful. I opened the lid and looked inside. Pinned to the back of the box, wings open, was a raven.

A dead raven.


	9. Lost Leads

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Nine: Lost Leads

"Give me some plastic wrap," I ordered. "Now!"

Garfield rushed over to the pantry and grabbed the roll. He slapped the box in my hand as if giving me a surgical tool. I wrapped the box, stuffed it under my arm, grabbed the evidence bag with the brown wrapping paper, and stormed out of the common room. Vic caught up and tried to get my attention as we marched to the lab.

"Gar didn't bring the bird in, Dick," he said. "I did."

"It doesn't matter who brought it in. Did you notice that there was no shipping label, cancelled stamps, or anything like that? Someone knew exactly where to drop it off so we'd find it."

All this "It was really my fault" stuff was counterproductive. It didn't change the fact that someone was trying to scare us, and dammit, it worked. I stopped and looked into Vic's eyes. He was as scared as any of us. We walked into the lab and I spread the box and the paper wrap on the stainless steel worktable. Vic washed his mechanical hands and ran them under a sanitizer. I washed and regloved my hands as well. We donned dust masks and aprons before undoing the plastic wrap. I took the bird out of the box and picked up a mushroom brush.

Vic nodded and laid down a sheet of parchment paper before I began to brush the bird's feathers. Particulates fell to the paper. The bird was recently dead, no more than twenty-four hours, and I couldn't readily see a cause of death. I looked up and saw Kory, Gar, and Rae in the doorway.

"Come on in. We could use the help," I said.

"What can we do?"

I looked at the bird. "We need to prep for a necropsy. I want to know what killed this bird. Kory, you can help me with that. Rae, help Vic with a chemical analysis on the particulates we're taking from the bird, the box, and the wrapping paper."

"And me?" Gar asked.

"You can dust for fingerprints, right?"

"Um, yeah."

I pointed to the box. "As soon as you get through taking the particulates out, then get started."

I took the poor bird over to another examination table and laid out my dissection tools. Before I even cut it open, I examined the creature's spine and found it broken in three places. Then I looked at the wing tips. The wings, too, had been snapped, but I couldn't tell if it was before or after the raven died. I re-pinned it to an examination board and made a long vertical incision along its breastbone. The muscles showed extreme bruising. The raven went through some blunt force trauma, which broke the left wing and its back. The neck was snapped, and that's what killed the poor creature.

"What is that in its beak?" Kory asked over my shoulder.

She pushed the stand magnifier and pointed out a small bit of material. I took a pair of tweezers from my tool kit and plucked it out of the bird's mouth.

"It's burlap."

"As in… a sack of some kind?"

I looked up and grinned. A lot of people thought Kory was stupid. Of course I knew otherwise.

"Exactly," I agreed. "Judging from the injuries, I'd say the bird was bagged and then clubbed to death."

"How horrid."

I could only nod.

"Dudes, I just dusted the box for prints, and it's clean," Gar announced disappointedly.

"Good work," I said honestly. I didn't expect to find any.

"I've just set up the float tanks," Vic reported.

Vic carefully took each sheet of parchment and dumped them in individual tanks. The particulates would float or sink, depending on their density. It's an easy way to separate stuff. Dump all the stuff in, let it settle and skim off the top. Easy. Unfortunately analyzing them is going to take time. Time. That reminded me to look at my Lenny countdown. Ten hours, forty-one minutes.

"Vic, can you complete the lab work?" I asked as I stripped off the examination gloves and rewashed my hands.

"Yeah, no problem. You got a lead?"

I nodded. "Lenny's time is about up, and I'm going to see if he's about to be one of the most wanted men in Jump City or not."

"What makes you think he's still here?" Gar asked. "If it was me, I'd be in Tucson by now."

"I put a GPS tracer on him that night," I announced. "He went home, but you're right. Lenny could have skipped town."

"Are you really going to give this ledger to the Ivan?" Kory asked.

I grinned. "Someone just about as bad: Internal Revenue."

…..

I waited for sunset before driving to the Giordano Hotel. It was a grand old place in the very fashionable historical district. Even though the sign said it was a hotel, the fact is it was converted to condos about the same time the Titans took up residence here. I looked down at my tracker. Now that it was so close, the device was tracking the altitude difference. Looked like the fourth floor. I used the old iron fire escape and scaled up the building. The tracker blipped faster as I approached.

Room Four E.

The window was open, and I accepted the invitation. I smelled something all too familiar and tracked it to the bathroom.

Lenny.

He was in the bathtub, his arms submerged in blood-filled water, and his lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling.

"Well Lenny, you may not know it, but you're about to take down sixty percent of Jump City's drug traffickers," I whispered and called the police.


	10. Anger and Forgiveness

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Ten: Anger and Forgiveness

The uniformed police showed up twenty-six minutes before the thunderstorm. It rolled in off the cost and began dumping buckets of rain on the city. Typical. I crouched under a fire escape from a nearby building at watched as detectives from the crime scene unit finally arrive. As I waited, everything that happened began to sink in.

Lenny was dead, and it was my fault.

I got back to my bike and went home; even rats know when to stay out of the weather. I got back to my garage, parked my bike as calmly as I could. I was ready to explode. I overplayed my hand and drove him to suicide. I couldn't contain it any more. I yanked a stool off the ground and clubbed the wall, the floor, the support beam. I screamed. Soon I was panting, my heart was still pounding hard, and I held the mangled remains of a metal stool. I flung it down the hall and balled up.

Lenny was scum.

But he was dead.

I caught the scent of jasmine.

"Dick? Are you well? The sensors in the Tower told us you returned."

I closed my eyes and actually wished that Kory would go away. I could tell she was looking around.

"What has happened here? Why are you just sitting like that? And why are you so wet? Did you get caught in the…"

"Just… shut… up!" I jumped up and shouted at her. "I'm not going to answer any of your stupid questions!" My voice trailed off, "Just go away."

I turned from her before I could watch her large green eyes glass over with tears. As I heard her fight back her sobs, I closed my eyes, more angry at myself than ever. I lashed out at her, and Kory didn't deserve it. I felt her soft hand on my shoulders, and she wrapped a towel around me. I felt her head lean against my shoulder, and I took a deep breath, thankful Kory didn't listen to me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered softly. "Can you forgive me?"

She took a corner of the towel and dried off my cheek before kissing it lightly. "Of course I can. You know that I worry about you all the time."

I turned and completely fell into her green eyes. Kory was so damn beautiful. She put her soft hands to my temples and gently removed my mask. Her lips pressed to mine, and I wrapped my arms about her waist. The kiss continued as we slowly made our way to the floor.

I woke up when she shifted. Her long, slender arm snaked around my chest, and I felt her mould her body to mine. I could have spent years just feeling her breathe lightly on my neck and her jasmine perfume in my nostrils, but I had work to do. As quietly as I could, I slipped away from Kory and just watched her. The storm passed and the moon now shone in through the windows, and she shimmered like gold in the silver light. I sighed quietly before picking up my mask and donned it.

I wheeled my motorcycle to the door.

"Are you leaving again?"

I turned. Kory sat up and pulled the blanket over her body.

"I didn't mean to wake you," I said.

"I know."

She stood, wrapping the blanket loosely around her body and walked to me.

"Kory, I…"

Kory put her finger to my lips and smiled softly.

"I know," she whispered.

We kissed, and I straddled my motorcycle, kicked started it to life, and rode off again into the night.

…..

I went back to the foot of Finger Hill and crept back into the Loft. This time, I took out a leather jacket from my bike's saddlebag and stuffed my mask in one of its many pockets. The place was more crowded than the last time, and the Raven shrine was still set up in the corner. Some of the patrons stopped and bowed to it, like they were praying. Then I noticed they were all drunk. Even the morose Goth kid was here. He didn't see me. Good.

"Hey," someone said to me. "Looks like you're having an off night."

I turned and saw a pale, spiked, purple haired punk rocker type. He had eight hoops in his brow and an almost incalculable number in his ears. He wore a torn jacket and an even more torn Sex Pistols tee shirt.

"You could say that," I said taking a sip of my soda.

"Well, I got your answer right here, friend."

He looked around and pulled out bag after bag of pills. My eyes narrowed. There were reds, blues, and purples: an entire rainbow of colors. I recognized the Valium, Prozac, Viagra, and Quaaludes immediately.

"Not my speed," I said as I locked his appearance in my mind.

"Okay, then."

The pusher wandered off, looking for another mark. I narrowed my gaze and tracked him as he walked through the club. I set my drink down and reached into my pocket for my mask.


	11. Names

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Eleven: Names

By the time I was masked, I had a tracer on the pusher, and stalked back out to the roof. No sense making a scene in the club, but all I had to do now was wait. My tracker worked like a charm. Fifty-seven minutes later, the pusher walked out the front door. He was on foot, and I followed him from the rooftops. The pusher leaned against a building and took out a wad of cash. It looks like it was a good night for him.

I dropped from the roof and landed right in front of him.

"We have to talk," I growled.

The punk dropped his cash. I put my forearm into his throat and dragged him into the alley. I slammed him against the wall twice.

"Rope," I demanded.

"R- r- rope?" he blubbered.

I narrowed my eyes and growled in my most threatening voice, "You… heard… me. Three women are dead, and all have been spiked by Rope." I pulled him off the wall. Nearby was a large, steel dumpster with a sliding side panel. I propped his head on the crease and nearly slammed the door on his neck. "Talk!"

"S- side pocket! I got some Rope!"

"Who is your supplier?" I barked as I pulled out his supply of pills.

He didn't immediately answer, so I punched the panel. The steel rung like a bell.

"Johnny Rancid!" he screeched, "I get my stuff from Johnny Rancid!"

Three seconds later, the punk was trussed up with a little note for the cops. His head was still stuck in the dumpster, exactly where I thought it belonged. Johnny Rancid. I cracked my knuckles as I went back to my bike. I knew exactly where to find him, and rode to the southeast side of Finger Hill. Rancid was a part owner of a bar, after "going straight," called Gut Rot. It was a known hang out for outlaw bikers, tough guys, fight clubbers, and other punks. The ATF had an extensive file on the place already, as did the ABC. I put the bar on my patrols as often as I could, too.

The Gut Rot was a small steel building. Rows of Harleys were parked in front, and I took a deep breath. No time for disguises, but I wanted to make a bunch of noise anyway. I parked my own high performance motorcycle next to all the Hawgs and walked right up to the bouncer. He was twice as big as I was.

"This is a 'Members Only' bar," he said gruffly and put his finger on my chest.

I grabbed, pulled it back, and twisted. His face contorted with the pain as I broke his finger and nearly broke his wrist. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he dropped to a knee. I pushed him aside and walked through the doors as loudly as I could. All eyes went to me and then quickly focused on whatever glass was in front of them. I stalked across the room, my eyes glancing around for trouble and casting withering glares at several of the toughs. No one got up to challenge me.

Johnny Rancid leaned against the bar like a bull ready to charge as I walked up to him.

"Hello, Johnny."

"If it ain't the bird boy," he said with false pleasantness. "It's been what, two, three years?"

"Not long enough, in my book." I glanced around. "Interesting place you have here, Johnny. I've seen two on the FBI Fifty Most Wanted, eight parole violators, twenty ex-cons, and well, you."

Johnny picked up a shot glass and started wiping it with a bar towel. "Pays the bills."

"I hear you've been dealing pills."

"You heard wrong. Who told you that?"

I smirked, "Not your concern. I'm looking for Rope dealers."

Johnny snorted, "Oh really? Goldie not puttin' out for you anymore? Or are you after for another piece of tail? Gotta admit, Witchy's looking mighty fine of late. I hear that hottie, Jinx, has joined up with you losers."

I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the insinuation. I snarled, "I'm talking about accessory to murder, Johnny. Now that's got your attention? Good. I'll be back tomorrow night, and I'd best have that list."

"Or else?"

"Your words, not mine," I said as I left.

As I left I could practically feel daggers in my back the way Rancid was glaring at me. I swung my leg over my motorcycle when my T-Communicator sounded.

"Nightwing? It's Cyborg. We've finished the initial lab work on the package. On the paper were black carpet fibers matching the ones found on the three victims. The bird was sent by the killer."

I nodded. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, and Detective MacDonald called. They've ID'ed the fourth victim. Kerry Kenedy, twenty-five, another prostitute, no one reported her missing."

"Good work, Cyborg."

"She says she wants to meet with you in the morning. I'm shutting down."

"All right, rest well. I'm done here."

…..

I could only imagine the look on MacDonald's face as she walked in and saw the vase of lilies on her desk. I crouched on top of the massive file cabinets and waited, shifting my legs just enough to keep them from cramping. It was the easiest way to gain entry to the precinct: floral delivery guy.

The door opened. It always amazed me how no one looked up. Ever. MacDonald looked around and frowned. She held the little card saying "File Room" that I left with the lilies.

"You've been withholding information, Sergeant."

She jumped a good three stories.

"Dammit, Nightwing! Stop doing that!"

I smirked as I flipped down from the cabinets and then turned serious. "The killer sent Raven a threatening package. I need access to every file, piece of evidence, everything you have."

She grinned coolly at me. "Who's your suspect?"

I narrowed my gaze.

"You want me to share information, I expect the same treatment, hero. Who is your suspect?"

I took a deep breath. "Robert Eric Forester. He's a drummer that hangs out at the Loft."

MacDonald nodded. She walked back to her desk and handed me four thick file folders. She looked away as I crept out the window.


	12. Dinner with the Titans

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Twelve: Dinner with the Titans

I locked myself in the workroom and spread the complete files in front of me. Kenedy's file was on top. She, too, had the features of the other victims: ligatures, strangulation, costuming, burn marks on her pubic bones. I had enough victims here to start profiling the killer. The murderer was most likely male. He has some kind of power issue with Raven. The ligatures, the costume, and even the rapes indicate this. Why her? Recognizing the issues was one thing, predicting the killer's trigger was another thing entirely. He could go days, months, years, without killing, and then we'll have another rash of slayings.

I read MacDonald's notes, and she was a step ahead of me. Her people were already looking for earlier costume killings. Nothing in the Jump City Metro. I heard the phone ring from the common room, again. Channel Seventeen, Channel Four, and Channel Fifty-two were all running with the "Raven Slayer" story, not to mention the Jump City Star and the Haney County Eagle. I almost agreed with Gar that we needed a press agent now. Since Maggie Hollis broke the story about Kenedy, it didn't take the press long to learn about the other killings.

I put my favorite magnifying glass down and rubbed my eyes. I had been staring at these files for six hours.

"Dick?" Kory called from the other side of the door. "Victor wants me to inform you that dinner is now ready. Please, do not make us send Raven in there to teleport you out."

I laughed. "Okay, Kory. I'm coming."

I got up and joined the others at the table. Vic's spread was, as always, impressive. He went all out this time: roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, fresh salad, and yeah, he even remembered a Szechwan tofu stir-fry for Gar.

"What's the occasion?" I asked.

Vic grinned and waived his hand, "I was bored."

I had a forkful of meat that I was about to put in my mouth. I put it back on the plate. "I guess I have been shutting you guys out again, haven't I?"

"No," Raven said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not a bit."

Gar took a large spoonful of his dinner and stuffed it in his mouth, "Mmyah, We're kinna ushed do id now."

Vic just missed giving Gar a short forehand slap to the back of his head, but the changeling timed his duck expertly.

Raven glanced over to Kory, leaned over to me, and whispered in a deadly serious tone, "And if you don't catch this idiot soon, I can't guarantee your _friend-who-is-a-girl's_ safety. I love Koriand'r like a sister, but she's constantly hovering around me! I've been out of balance for the past two days!"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I ran into Johnny Rancid last night, and promised that I'd pay him another visit tonight. Anyone want to tag along?"

It was unanimous.

"So when do we leave?"

"Nightfall," I said.

I finished my supper and washed my plate in the sink. Kory was, once again, Rae's shadow, and Vic and Gar spent the last couple of hours of daylight playing on the Gamestation. I got up and walked toward across the common room.

"Where are you going?" Raven asked.

"I left my mask back in my workroom."

I walked back in and picked up my mask from the table. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. My magnifying glass was resting on a picture of Tolberson's skull. I just saw something I hadn't noticed before. There was a small burn spot _inside_ the eye socket. I scooped the autopsy report and scanned it. The ME missed that. I grabbed the pictures of the others and each one had a similar feature. And once again, the examiner failed to spot it. There were also burn marks on the edges of eyes, but because these girls all favored heavy kohl eye make up, I'm sure the ME missed it on first glance. I grabbed my high power magnifier. The bones around Kenedey's eye sockets were almost bleached white. As if that one spot had been boiled.

"Oh my god," I breathed.

This new discovery sealed it. Everything started falling into place.

Raven appeared at my door. "Richard, we're ready to go. Richard?"

I looked up. My eyes were wide and my mouth dropped open. Raven arched an eyebrow and pulled her hood back. She took three steps into my room.

"Richard, are you all right?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Rae, I know who the killer is!"

**A/N: Have you figured it out, dear reader? Who is the Raven Slayer?**


	13. Desperate Search

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

**A/N: And the killer is…**

Chapter Thirteen: Desperate Search

"Are you kidding?" Rae said when I told her.

"No, I'm deadly serious. Look at these photos. Right around the eyes. See that burn spot? It's only an eighth of an inch in diameter, but it's perfectly round. These other burn marks, they're just like scalding patterns. The killer used a laser to heat the vitreous, causing it to boil. Eventually the eye burst and that's the scald patterns we see on the sides of the eyes."

Raven looked like she was about to throw up.

"The ME missed it, initially, because, one, all the victims wore heavy kohl eye make up, so a lot of the burned flesh was hidden, and, two, the eyes, being almost completely made of water, are the first things to decompose, and, three, with the obvious signs of strangulation, they thought that was what killed the women and stopped looking."

I put my mask on and pulled my T-Communicator from my hip pouch. I hit the alert and ran to the common room, dragging a still shocked Raven by her wrist. The Titans were still there, and a cool, professional air filled the room. Beast Boy and Cyborg stood ready. Starfire floated eighteen inches off the floor, her eyes already glowing hot.

I stood straight up. "Titans, we need to find Doctor Light. Starfire, Beast Boy, you're on aerial recon. Cyborg, you and I are on the ground, and call MacDonald. We'll need her people on it, too. This is now our top priority."

"Dude," Beast Boy gasped, "you're saying that the Raven Slayer is Dr. freaking Light?"

I narrowed my eyes. "That's exactly what I'm saying. He fits the profile, and has means to create burn patterns found on the bodies."

"Then the Doctor Light will face retribution," Starfire snarled coldly.

Beast Boy turned into a hawk, flew outside, and then became an albatross. Starfire flew out behind the changeling with such fierce determination, I actually hoped that she didn't find Light first. Cyborg nodded to Raven then to me and ran to his beloved T-Car.

"What about me?" Raven asked. "If you think I'm staying out of this…"

"Raven, you can search for Light in ways that no one else can. I need you to do a psychic sweep of the city."

"The… entire city?"

I put my hands on her shoulders and smiled, "I know you can do it Rae."

She nodded. We walked to the roof where she sat cross-legged and floated in the air. Rae started her mantra softly, and for some unknown reason, I gave her a good luck kiss to the top of her head. She her lips curled in to a slight smile, but it didn't break her spell. I took the express to the ground floor, meaning I clicked a zip line to the roof and jumped off. The line acted as a break, and I was on the ground next to Cyborg in seconds.

"Freakin' show off," he told me sarcastically.

"Let's go. Light is a fugitive, and I'm sure there's one person who has a pretty good idea where he might be."

Cyborg opened the door to the T-Car. "Johnny Rancid?"

"Johnny Rancid."

"Boo-yah," Cyborg said quietly as the high performance engine roared to life.

We drove straight to the Gut Rot, and this time the bouncer let me in without a hassle. Cyborg walked in behind me, and I could tell his hand was twitching, ready to snap into his sonic cannon. The patrons all looked like hired help that I've cracked my knuckles on once or twice. They were looking for a signal.

"I'm not in the mood to play tonight," I announced. "If you don't want to spend a serious amount of time in traction, I suggest you keep the hell out."

I narrowed my eyes and stared down the pros.

A throaty motorcycle engine roared outside. Johnny was pulling a runner. I went on full alert and waited to get jumped. There was always some rookie or some goofball that wanted to be the man to take me down. Sure enough, three idiots tried it. Two seconds later, one had a dislocated shoulder, the other a crushed kneecap, and the third a broken jaw. I snarled at the others to take the fight out of them.

The thugs were on their feet, but not one advanced. I tapped Cyborg on the shoulder, and we backed out of the bar. We got back into the car and sped off after Rancid.

"Dude," Cyborg finally said, "that was…"

"Necessary. Rancid's heading north."

"Right."

My communicator chimed, "Nightwing, this is Beast Boy, do you have any idea how many GM cars there are in the city?"

"About eight hundred thousand in the Jump City metro," I said. "We're looking for a fleet sedan, probably a Monte Carlo or a Caprice, and probably with a white paint job."

"Okay, that's scary," Beast Boy quipped.

"Friends! I see that you are in a pursuit. May I be of assistance?"

"Star!" Cyborg called, "That'd be great, sweetheart."

We turned a corner and saw Rancid's taillights. Cyborg punched down on the accelerator, and I was thrown back into my seat. Rancid was still too far ahead. But Kory dove out of the sky, and rained a wall of starbolts ahead of Rancid. Johnny turned the bike sideways, the wheels slid out and he skidded to a stop. Starfire already scooped him up and softened him up by the time we got there.

"Get… this… crazy bitch offa me!" Rancid coughed.

"Where is the Doctor Light?" Kory demanded. Her eyes glowed hot.

I walked up to him. "You'd better tell her. Remember Tamaranian justice is a little less enlightened than the USA's."

Then I heard a voice on the breeze. Heard wasn't really the truth. I felt the voice in my soul.

"Richard, I've found him."


	14. Rage Unleashed

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Fourteen: Rage Unleashed

Raven teleported all of us to a house in the middle class neighborhood of Quarry Lake. I looked around and saw a white, 1996, Chevrolet Caprice in the driveway. You could still make out where the car was originally marked "Police." The house itself was nondescript, and just like every fourth one in the subdivision.

"He's still inside," Raven droned as if not there.

"Then let us attack!" Kory exclaimed. The air around her hands crackled as she powered up and flew at the house.

"Starfire, wait!" I shouted in vain.

She crashed through the roof, and Gar and Vic were right behind her. Raven's eyes blinked several times and looked up at me. The lights in the house went out. Complete darkness poured out the window. No, that wasn't right. I noticed some odd refraction, like the light from the outside was being sucked in.

"Close your eyes!" I shouted to anyone that could hear me. Raven looked away and shielded her face with her hood. My anti-flare lenses automatically slid into place, and even through my eyelids, I could see the blinding flash. It was like looking into the sun.

"What was that?" Raven gasped.

"Looks like Light has picked up a few new tricks," I snarled. "Let's go!"

"Do we have plan?" she asked as we ran to the door.

"Not yet." I focused and released a kick. The door nearly exploded off its hinges, and I rushed in.

I could see several fast food bags on a center table. Light from the massive hole in the roof came in an a great, bright shaft, casting everything in harsh bright and shadow zones. Doctor Light stood in the center of the shaft, arms open, like he was the Messiah of Photons. Vic, Gar, and Kory were at his feet, unconscious. I hoped.

"Light!" I growled.

Doctor Light took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward me. His beady eyes now glowed. I dove as he fired two white hot lasers at me. I smelled the scorched drywall, but kept my eyes locked on him.

"Hello, Nightwing," he said. "What, no smug little taunt? I was sure you had some pithy and pointless thing to tell me. Ah, and dear little Raven, I so hoped I'd see you again. I have such plans."

"We know all about those plans, you monster," she spat.

Light grinned perversely. "Monster? I've ascended to the rank of monster?" He laughed unsettlingly.

I took two steps toward him.

"Stay where you are, hero," he ordered. A beam burst from his fingertip. It seared the ground and drew a line towards Kory. "I'd hate to see your beautiful friend get… blemished."

I stopped and glared at Light. Vic began to stir, and Gar sat up.

"I can't see!" Beast Boy cried.

_Raven?_ I thought.

_Richard? What are we going to do?_

I formed a picture in my mind. Raven closed her cloak around her body.

"What do you want, Light?"

"Free passage."

"You know I can't do that. You've killed four young women, and you're going to have to pay."

Light snarled. "Only four?"

Kory was coming to. I wanted her to stay down, but had no way to warn her.

"Raven!" I shouted.

Raven wrapped the house in her black aura. She cut off every incoming particle of light, and the world went pitch black. I clicked on my infrared lenses and rushed Light. I leapt to a table as I avoided his blasts of laser fire. The room blinked in strobe lights as he fired bolt after bolt.

"I can see in infrared too, boy!" he shouted but couldn't draw a bead on me. Then I could see him turn and draw a bead on a stationary target.

"Raven!" I shouted, but a second late.

The bolt hit her square in the chest, and she fell in a sickening heap. Her spell broke, and Light started his maniacal laugh again.

I had enough.

I blocked him to the ground and straddled him. His back was to me and I didn't care. I rained down punch after punch, ripped off his helmet and pounded his face into the ground. I lost count how many times.

"Nightwing!"

I rolled him over. My knuckles were bruising under my gloves. His jaw broke in three places.

"NIGHTWING!"

I saw a green flash.


	15. Open Doors

**A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply**

Chapter Fifteen: Open Doors

I felt like I'd been kicked by a horse. My eyes almost refused to open, but the heavy lids finally split apart. The light was exceptionally bright, and I raised my hand to shield my eyes. I was in the back of an ambulance. The EMT closed the bottle of smelling salts, and politely asked if she could check my eyes for dilation.

"The mask stays," I heard someone else say. It was Kory. She was getting checked out. "I am fine, thank you, but my vision is still rather off. I keep seeing bright spots."

"How's Raven?"

"She will live, although I believe she will have a… a… sunburn? Yes, that is the word, a sunburn on her chest for some time."

Eileen MacDonald knocked on the side of the ambulance and helped herself in. She looked over to Kory then glanced to me. Her eyes settled on my bloodied gloves.

"The crime scene unit is going over the car and the house," she said coolly. "Hopefully the DA can make this stick."

"Yeah," I said.

MacDonald nodded and put her hands in her coat pocket. "See you around."

I watched as she walked out.

That night we all sat around the dinner table and shared a pizza. Gar only half-heartedly complained about the choice of toppings. Kory was uncharacteristically quiet, and Rae picked off her mushrooms. I thought about Forester's shrine again and sighed.

So we beat the bad guy.

We won.

Why didn't I feel better?

I got up and walked back to the workroom. I slide Light's picture back to the incarcerated column and lightly punched the wall in frustration.

"Dick?"

The light scent of jasmine wafted in, followed by a soft undertone of lavender.

"Yes, Kory?"

"Raven and I were wanting to know if you'd like to join us. We are going to the mall to find a, as you said, 'civilian look.'"

"Yes, and Victor and Garfield were wondering if you'd go with them to Toys N Mor for a new video game," Raven chimed in.

I glanced around, and a small grin curled my lips. I looked to the girls and remembered that I had four of the best friends I could hope to have.

"Thanks," I said. "I'd love to."

THE END

**A/N: Thanks everyone for all the reviews and readership! This story was an extremely rewarding experience for me, and I hope you enjoyed it!**

**So, as my first murder mystery, how'd I do?**

**Thanks again!**

**The SB**


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